Wire splicing and tightening tool



Sept. 24, 1963 c. J. WISE WIRE SPLICING AND ,TIGHTENING r001.

Filed Oct. 6. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR COY J. WISE ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1963 c. J. WISE 3,104,686

WIRE SPLICING AND TIGHTENING TOOL Filed Oct. 6, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR COY J. WISE ATTORNEY rates This invention relates to wire splicing and tightening tools for wire strands such as used in fencing.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a splicing tool embodying as many safety factors as possible to prevent injury to an operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a splicing tool head embodying structural features capable of functioning to first form a loop in a first wire; second, providing means for drawing or tightening a second wire and for guiding the second wire through the loop of the first wire without manual manipulation; and third, to provide means to facilitate removal of the tool after a connection is made between two tightened wire strands.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool having a head capable of engaging a post and thereafter permitting a strand of wire to be tightened and guided about the post for stapling.

These and other objects of the invention will more clearly hereinafter appear by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the instant specification and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the assembly associated with a pair of strands of wire;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the head portion of the stretcher;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the ratchet and clamp;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the ratchet and clam mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the assembly used in stretching and applying a single strand of wire to a post.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention comprises an elongated ratchet bar I provided with upper and lower ratchet teeth 2 and 3, these teeth being longitudinally staggered for cooperation with a ratchet mechanism to be hereinafter described. One end of the ratchet bar 1 is provided with a head structure comprising a hub 4 fixed to the end of the ratchet bar I and a :claw mechanism formed or arcuate spaced parallel side plates 5 and 6 having interposed therebetween the arcuate guiding spacer 7. The arcuate guide spacer 7 is positioned diagonally between the plates 5 and 6 and projects from its lower inner end 8 positioned immediately above the upper face 3,104,685 Patented Sept. 24;, 1963 IQQ and guides the ratchet bar 1, as shown in FIG. 4, and has a dimension permitting the enclosure of the ratchet bar and sliding guided movement therein. Fixed to the top wall 2 2 of the housing is an upright spacer bar'24 upon which is mounted an angle plate including the horizontal base member 25 and the upright flange 26. The upright flange 26 is provided with an elongated diagonal slot 27 notched at its upper extremity as at 28 to receive a pin 29 having outer head 30 and inner head 31. The pin body 29 issufiiciently elongated to receive and mount a a rectangular wedge member 32, this wedge member traveling with the pin 29 and by virtue of the diagonal elongated 14 cluding a handle portion 36 bifurcated to form a pair of spaced arms and 35 and pivotal connections 37, the latter mounting the ratchet lever 35 on the side plate extensions 38 and 38 (FIG. 2). A pai-rof ratchet teeth v 40 and 41 are mounted on pivots 42 and 4-3 extending between the spaced arms 35 and 35 of the ratchet handle.

The ratchet pawls 4i and 41 are provided with tapered inner faces 44- and 45 which terminate in ratchet-engaging of the ratchet bar I upwardly and rearwardly to a position above the medial portion of the plates 5 and 6, as shown at 9.

The spaced arcuate side plates 5 and 5 of the head have a curved outer surface It) of convex form and a concave inner face 11, these faces merging in upper pointed portions 12, which pointed portions are provided for penetrating engagement with a post structure. Arcuate recesses l5 transversely aligned for the reception of a looped wire extremity are formed in the inner concave faces, as best shown in FIG. 1. The rear end of the ratchet bar 1 is provided with a removable cotter or other form of transverse pin 16 which projects laterally sufficiently to prevent the escape and removal of the ratchet housing and guide 17 and associated clamp assembly 18.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the ratchet housing and guide 17 comprises an elongated structure embodying side walls 20 and 21 and connecting top and bottom walls 22 and 23. This housing formed by these parts receives sible for disengagement by an appropriate application of v portions 46 and47 for engaging with the alternately arranged ratchet teeth 2 and 3. By this means the operation of the handle 36 will feed the guide housing 17, and

the clamp assembly 13 along the ratchet bar for pulling and tightening the wire strand A as shown.

A guide plate 5i), shown in FIG. 6, is fixed to the-hori- I zontal angle base 25 outwardly of the sliding cam plate 32 to prevent lateral escape of the wire A during the positioning of the structure and its subsequent clamping operation. In FIG. 7 the structure is shown with the pointed extremities 12 of the head plates 5 and 6 penetrating a post B to facilitate a stretching operation of the strand C, this latter strand having its extremity following the arcuate plate 7 of the head structure and guided arcuately thereby about the post B where it can be stapled into position.

In the disclosure of FIG. 1, the invention is shown stretching a pair of wire strands and in this figure the first wire strand D is shown looped about the head and within the arcuate recess 15 and with the terminal then wrapped around the strand, as shown at 51. The second strand of wire A, as shown in FIG. 1, is secured by the clamp means 18 for a stretching operation by the ratchet mechanism. The terminal of this strand A is guided by the plate 7 into arcuate form and through the loop of strand D and at the end of the stretching operation the terminal of strand A, shown at 52, can be brought to the dotted line position 53 and wrapped about the body of the strand A. a

It will be noted that all of the parts are of rugged form and the guiding head is an integral mass so that injury thereto cannot occur. The guide housing and clamp are likewise formed as an integral structure with the clamping plate so positioned as to be readily accesforce to the projection n' at the top thereof. Likewise, the projection in at the bottom of the housing 17 will permit the application of force todisengage the assembly, particularly when moving against a barb.

To facilitate shipment, the guide housing 17 and the clamp 18, together with the ratchet assembly and arm,

can be removed from the ratchet bar I by the removal of the pin 16, this separation of the parts permitting convenient packaging in a smaller space. To facilitate packing further the arm structure 36 slides on the shank 54 which supports the spaced arms 35 and 35 between which the pawls 4i) and 41 are mounted. This extensible arm structure provides maximum leverage when necessary and permits a telescoping association for packing and shipping. V

It will be noted that due to the shape and construction of the tool parts, the tool can be readily separated from a wire structure by an arcuate movement by manipulation of the handle.

What I claim is:

1. In a wire handling apparatus, an elongated shank member formed with a ratchet face, a head carried by one end portion of the shank member and projecting laterally thereof, said head including spaced side plate members and a medial transversely extending arcuate guide member interposed between the side plate members, said side plate members including transversely aligned recessed inner faces for the engagement of a looped ter minal of a first wire strand and said guide member lying outwardly of said inner recesses for guiding the end portion of a second wire strand through the loop of the first wire strand engaging the transversely aligned recesses, a ratchet assembly including a housing adapted to enclose and travel along said shank member, a pawl member carried by an arm, said arm being pivotally mounted on .said housing, said pawl member being adapted to.

engage the ratchet face of said shank member to adjust said housing therealong, and a wire clamp fixed to the housing for engaging the second wire strand, said clamp being positioned to retain said second wire strand in alignment with that portion of the head located inward of said transversely aligned recesses, whereby the operation of the ratchet assembly will urge the terminal of the second wire strand to travel along the arcuate guide member through the looped terminal of the first wire strand.

'2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the side plate members are formed with transversely aligned inturned penetrating points at their outer extremities.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the spaced side plates are formed with outer convex and inner concave arcuate faces which merge at their outer ends in inwardly tapered penetrating prongs spaced from said shank member.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the housing forming a part of the ratchet assembly is of elongated form and has fixed thereto a rigid supporting structure for mounting the wire clamp. 5; The structure of claim 1 characterized in thatthe wire clamp includes a body of angle form upon which is mounted a sliding clamp element, said clamp element being movable lengthwise of the angle member by means of a pin and angularly arranged slot, to thereby secure a wire member between the clamp element and one face of said angle form. 0

6. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the shank member is formed with a pair of spaced ratchet faces and the arm pivotally mounted on the housingis which alternately provided with a pair of spaced pawls engage the spaced ratchet faces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Australia July 7. 19 26 

1. IN A WIRE HANDLING APPARATUS, AN ELONGATED SHANK MEMBER FORMED WITH A RATCHET FACE, A HEAD CARRIED BY ONE END PORTION OF THE SHANK MEMBER AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREOF, SAID HEAD INCLUDING SPACED SIDE PLATE MEMBERS AND A MEDIAL TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ARCUATE GUIDE MEMBER INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE SIDE PLATE MEMBERS, SAID SIDE PLATE MEMBERS INCLUDING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED RECESSED INNER FACES FOR THE ENGAGEMENT OF A LOOPED TERMINAL OF A FIRST WIRE STRAND AND SAID GUIDE MEMBER LYING OUTWARDLY OF SAID INNER RECESSES FOR GUIDING THE END PORTION OF A SECOND WIRE STRAND THROUGH THE LOOP OF THE FIRST WIRE STRAND ENGAGING THE TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED RECESSES, A RATCHET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HOUSING ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE AND TRAVEL ALONG SAID SHANK MEMBER, A PAWL MEMBER CARRIED BY AN ARM, SAID ARM BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, SAID PAWL MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE RATCHET FACE OF SAID SHANK MEMBER TO ADJUST SAID HOUSING THEREALONG, AND A WIRE CLAMP FIXED TO THE HOUSING FOR ENGAGING THE SECOND WIRE STRAND, SAID CLAMP BEING POSITIONED TO RETAIN SAID SECOND WIRE STRAND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT PORTION OF THE HEAD LOCATED INWARD OF SAID TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED RECESSES, WHEREBY THE OPERATION OF THE RATCHET ASSEMBLY WILL URGE THE TERMINAL OF THE SECOND WIRE STRAND TO TRAVEL ALONG THE ARCUATE GUIDE MEMBER THROUGH THE LOOPED TERMINAL OF THE FIRST WIRE STRAND. 